LAGRANGE, Ga., Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Interface, the leading global manufacturer of modular carpet tile, is taking a page from its own lesson book on stewardship and sustainability and is headed into schools across the country and around the world. Company employees globally have volunteered to roll up their shirt sleeves and pitch in to give new flooring and other needed sustainable upgrades to classrooms and educational facilities as part of the Green Apple Day of Service, Saturday, September 29, an initiative of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Green Apple Day of Service is calling on volunteers internationally to spend the day on a service project that will help create healthier, sustainable learning environments.

"Interface is an acknowledged trailblazer in sustainability in the building and furnishings industry," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC. "Company founder and my dear friend Ray Anderson, who passed away last year, is revered for his gutsy commitment to eliminate any potential negative impact Interface products or the manufacturing process have on the environment. The company's self-imposed goal of achieving this by 2020 is remarkable. But driven by invention and innovative thinking, Interface is closing in on this milestone."

Fedrizzi continued, "The relationship between USGBC and Interface is longstanding. We were privileged to have Ray's guidance in the development of LEED. And now we are grateful to have Interface actively involved as a partner helping to create the greenest possible environments for our schools, our children and the educators responsible for their growth."

For Interface, the Green Apple program is in perfect alignment with the company's own principles and practices. In addition to a shared dedication to build and furnish greener buildings, Interface has long been a proponent of community volunteerism, annually conducting Legacy Projects and encouraging its 1,550 North American employees plus the thousands overseas, to lend a hand to local endeavors. With Green Apple's extension into international markets, Interface also has teams already signed up for improvement projects in Brazil, Holland, UK, Singapore and Thailand, with numerous others being planned.

According to John Wells, Interface Americas president & CEO, "An abiding respect for continued learning is another core value embedded in the company's corporate culture. It's reflected in ongoing programming we offer our clients as well as our employees. So, on many levels we're in perfect sync with the USGBC's Green Apple campaign and its mantra, 'We learn here. Where we learn matters.'"

Among some of the project commitments to date: Interface teams here in LaGrange, GA, plus in Austin, TX, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL and Philadelphia, PA will be providing several public schools with carpet tile installations. Company volunteers also are headed to Acworth and West Point, Georgia, to spruce up schoolyards and provide other needed exterior improvements. The Boston-based crew is working with a creative reuse center that donates reused and recycled materials to educators, while New York City volunteers will be working with The Door, a center for at risk and homeless youth, renovating its library and lounge areas. Also on board to pitch in are several of the company's FLOR retail stores that have promised to donate design services and enough carpet tile to create 10'-x-12' spaces to be designated as reading areas at schools or learning programs in Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Scottsdale and West Hollywood.

"The needs are varied and our Interface volunteers are rallying on all fronts to offer an assist for what their local community considers a priority," said Wells.

About Interface Interface, Inc. is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial carpet tile. For 39 years, the company has consistently led the industry through innovation and now leads the industry in environmental sustainability. Interface is setting the pace for development of modular carpet using materials and processes that take less from the environment, and is well along the path to "Mission Zero®," the company's promise to eliminate any negative impact it has on the environment by the year 2020. Interface's worldwide carpet manufacturing facilities maintain third party registration to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard, and the company obtained the first-ever Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the commercial floor covering industry in North America. The company is recognized globally for its commitment to build environmental considerations into its business decisions. For additional information: www.interface.com, www.interfaceflorblog.com